


The Things We Left Unsaid

by Increasing_Paranoia



Series: Hidden Things [1]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends, Fae Robbie Rotten, M/M, Pre-Slash, Robbie is a softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Increasing_Paranoia/pseuds/Increasing_Paranoia
Summary: “You’re leaving LazyTown?” He gaped at the blue-clad hero. Eight years ago this would have been the best news Robbie ever would have received. But a great many things had changed in eight years and Robbie was no longer a villain.“I don’t want to leave,” Sportacus told the man. “But I don’t have a choice. The council is giving me until the end of the summer. After that, I must report back North.”





	1. Chapter One

It had started slowly. The kids of LazyTown loved Sportacus, but there were certain things that the sports elf couldn’t help them with. That was where Robbie came in. The villain was not entirely sure _when_ it had started. If he had known, he would have put an end to it before it began. Probably. Most likely. Maybe not. In truth, the villain kind of... _liked_ having the kids come to him for advice.  


Ziggy had been the first – the sugar loving child coming to Robbie when he wanted to make a cake for his mother. “And _why_ would I do that?” Robbie had asked the small child as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Ziggy had fidgeted under the villain’s unimpressed glare but stood his ground. That didn’t mean he’d looked Robbie in the eye.  


“Um...well, you see...” the child had stuttered. “My mom, she likes a particular type of cake. But the bakery doesn’t make it. But...but _you_ bake, so _you_ could help me make one!” Ziggy had said excitedly. Robbie had huffed.  


“And once again I ask: _why_ would I do that?” He’d glared at the blond. Ziggy, who had managed to look at Robbie during his excitement, had lowered his eyes and begun fidgeting again.  


“Uh, cause...cause it would be nice?” Ziggy had asked. Robbie had sneered at the child. He was a villain, and villains where _not nice._ The sneer had proved too much for the young child, who’d immediately begun sniffling. Robbie had groaned.  


“If I help you make this cake, will you stop your incessant sniffling?” he’d asked. Ziggy had nodded. “Good. Then stop whining and come in,” he’d ordered. “Now, what type of cake does your mother like?” he’d continued as Ziggy followed him into the bunker.  


It had been, dare he say it, _fun_ to bake a cake with Ziggy. For Robbie, i t was a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake . He was more than used to making his own sugary treats from scratch but Ziggy, who normally bought his treats from the bakery, had been stunned. After extracting a promise to teach the young boy how to make his own taffy if he would _stop chattering_ , Robbie had sent the child home with the surprise cake for his mother.  


Robbie had thought that would be the end of it. Yes, he had done something that _could_ be considered _nice,_ but he was still the town villain, after all. What’s more, he didn’t think that Ziggy would go around _telling_ everyone about how Robbie had helped him. So he’d put it out of his mind and went around planning his next scheme.  


A soft tap at his entryway had pulled the evil genius away from his schematics with a frown of annoyance. He’d pulled down the periscope, his frown deepening when he saw the sports elf standing patiently outside. A glance at the clock had shown it to be well after 8:08, which begged the question of _why_ Sportacus was standing outside of his lair. Sighing in annoyance, Robbie had hit the speaker button.  


“It’s unlocked,” he’d stated. Best to get this conversation over with. He’d set his tools aside as he heard the hero enter his lair. “What do you want, Sportaflop?” he’d asked. “I haven’t done anything to warrant a lecture today.”  


“Hello Robbie!” Sportacus had greeted him. “I wanted to thank you!” Robbie had sputtered, taken off-guard by the thanks.  


“ _Thank_ me?” he’d asked. “Whatever for, Sportaidiot?”  


“Why, for helping Ziggy!” Sportacus had told him. “He showed us all the cake you helped him make.” The elf had beamed at Robbie while the other man groaned in annoyance. “That was extremely nice of you, Robbie. Ziggy has been worried about his mother’s birthday for quite a while, especially when he found out that the bakery didn’t carry the type of cake he needed.”  


“I still don’t understand why he didn’t just ask _you_ for help.” Robbie had muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “ _You’re_ supposed to be the hero.” Sportacus’ smile had softened.  


“Robbie, while I love keeping the kids out of trouble and teaching them new things, there _are_ things that I cannot teach them,” he’d told the villain softly.  


“What could I possibly teach them that _you_ can’t, Sportanerd?” Robbie had asked with a scoff.  


“Well, how to bake for one,” the elf had told him. “My body cannot handle sugar, so there was no need for me to learn how to bake. But it was something Ziggy needed to know, so he came to you. I am sure the other children will have questions as well – about sewing, and electronics and much more. I am glad to know that you will be willing to answer their questions!” He’d grinned at the villain.  


“Now hang on just a second! I didn’t agree to anything!” Robbie had squawked.  


“But Robbie, are you saying that you wouldn’t be willing to help out the other kids the way you helped Ziggy? That doesn’t seem fair.” Sportacus had frowned.  


“I don’t care about _fair_! I’m a _villain_!” the taller man had shouted, flailing his arms. “The only reason I agreed to help Ziggy was to keep the kid from blubbering all over my entryway! I didn’t need that headache – it was self-preservation!” A look of understanding had passed over the shorter man’s face and the frown had been replaced with a small smile.  


“Of course, Robbie. I understand. Still, the other kids may approach you for assistance with certain things. Will you at least promise to _think_ about helping them?” the hero had asked.  


“I will do no such thing,” Robbie had huffed as he crossed his arms again. “Now, if you don’t mind, Sportanuisance, I have other things to be doing. You know where the door is,” he’d finished, before dramatically turning his back on the elf. He’d pretended to be drawn into the schematics in front of him until he’d heard the latch close; then he’d let out a heavy sigh. _Assist the kids?_ Really, who did that pointy-eared menace think he was talking to? _That’s it,_ he’d thought to himself. _That’s the last time I do anything nice._

  _~_  
  


_How,_ Robbie wondered, _did this happen?_ Since the incident with Ziggy and the follow up conversation with Sportacus, Robbie had been lying low. He hadn’t even done many evil schemes - not unless the brats were being exceptionally annoying. The schemes ultimately failed, but for a short while he was guaranteed relative quietness, and he took what he could get. Now, however, he was flat on his back under a car, fixing it so that one of the annoying children could get home. Once again, Robbie wondered what strange twist his life had taken as of late.  


“Sticky, you need to take better care of your car,” he stated, trying to take his mind off its current train of thought.  


“ _Stingy,”_ the boy corrected. “And I take excellent care of _my_ car.”

  
“Same thing,” Robbie groused. “And I can tell you that you _don’t._ If you want _your_ car to keep running, then take it to a professional every now and then for check-ups. Otherwise you’re going to keep finding yourself stranded on the outskirts of town.” With his head stuck under the vehicle, Robbie couldn’t see Stingy’s sulk, but he definitely could _hear_ the whine.  


“But I don’t want anyone touching _my_ car.”  


Robbie sighed, heavily, and counted to ten in his head. “Well, Sticky, if you don’t want other people touching your car, then you’re going to have to learn basic car maintenance.” He paused for a moment, considering what he was going to say next. _Oh, well,_ he thought. _In for a penny, in for a pound._ “Get under here so you can learn.”  


It took twice as long to fix Stingy’s car as it would have by himself, and they were covered head to waist in various car fluids by the time they were finished, but Robbie wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Stingy had the basic understanding of how to care for both his engine and the unibody of his car. The kid had even taken meticulous notes in a notepad that he inexplicably kept on his person. While Stingy himself hadn’t been able to escape the grime involved in car maintenance, the pad had somehow managed to stay clean. Robbie was baffled as to what sort of magic had been involved in that.  


“Thank you,” the boy said quietly as he tucked the notepad back into whatever pocket he had pulled it from. Robbie ignored the warmth spreading through his chest.  


“Don’t thank me yet, Sticky. Hop in and give it a try. Let’s see if your car actually starts.” The brown-haired boy jumped in to his vehicle and turned the key. The car came to life with a soft purr and Robbie allowed himself a smile. Not only was the car running, but Robbie had been able to give the car a small tune up, which meant it was now running much quieter than it was before. “Alright, kid, get home. It’s almost time for dinner and I’m sure your parents are wondering where you are.”  


“Alright. And...thank you again.” Stingy said. “Good night,” he said before driving away. Robbie watched him go with a small smile on his face before turning and heading back to his lair. He had definitely earned some cake.  


He had just settled down with a rather large slice when a loud knock came.  


“It’s open Sportakook,” he shouted, not even bothering to get up out of his chair. A soft thud let the villain know that the blue hero had entered his lair. “You better not be here to lecture me on my dietary habits,” he stated, looking up from his plate of cake.  


“Of course not, Robbie,” the elf told him with a chuckle. A worried look flitted across his face as he eyed Robbie’s plate. “Uhm, that’s not all your having for dinner, is it?” he asked. At Robbie’s glare, he wisely dropped the subject. “I wanted to come and thank you for helping Stingy with his car.”  


“Yes, well,” Robbie stated, not knowing exactly what he should say. He had _helped_ another one of the brats without asking for anything in return. It was in direct violation of the villains creed! “Let us hope that he actually keeps up with the vehicle maintenance before he gets stranded again.” Sportacus chuckled.  


“Of course, Robbie.” The man in question frowned down at his cake.  


“But why didn’t your crystal let you know about what happened? It’s not on the fritz again, is it?” Robbie bit his lower lip. Then realizing that he was showing _concern_ , he said, “I mean, if it is, then you’ll probably have to leave LazyTown to get it looked at, right? And if you _leave_ , then you shouldn’t worry about coming _back._ ”  


“No, Robbie, my crystal is not on the fritz,” the elf told the villain with a chuckle. “My crystal only alerts me if someone is in danger, or if there is a problem that I can assist with. Stingy was not emotionally distressed or in any physical danger and I could not assist with his vehicle.” Sportacus paused before continuing on. “I’m glad you were there. Stingy was very appreciative of everything you taught him. He wants to read his notes to the other kids tomorrow,” he told the villain with a grin. Robbie heaved a heavy sigh, biting back the pleased grin that wanted to escape.  


“It was an act of selfishness. That blasted car may be his favorite thing ever, but it was _noisy_ _as_ _hell._ I can’t tell you how many times that thing interrupted a nap of mine.”  


“Of course, Robbie,” the hero agreed, nodding as solemnly as possible while biting back a grin.  


“Don’t you laugh at me, Sportannoying,” Robbie groused, taking a huge bite of cake. The resulting shudder from the blue clad hero made him feel slightly better.  


“I will leave you to your...dinner,” Sportacus told the villain, eyeing the cake with distaste. “I just wanted to stop by and thank you again for helping out Stingy. It was nice to hear that you were out today, since we haven’t seen you in awhile.” Was it Robbie’s imagination or had the hero given him a slightly questioning look. As if he were _worried_ that he hadn’t seen Robbie.  


“I do have _other_ things to do aside from being a _villain,_ you annoying elf,” the taller man groused. “You think high society dresses so impeccably by themselves? Not to mention the number of patents I’ve been applying for. Seriously, the number of machines I’ve created while trying to run you out of town has given me a nice little nest egg for retirement.”  


“Robbie, that’s wonderful! It’s nice to see your genius recognized,” Sportacus said sincerely.  


“As it should be,” Robbie sniffed. Sportacus smiled softly at him.  


“Indeed. Well, goodnight, Robbie. Perhaps I will see you tomorrow.” And with that, the elf somersaulted his way out of Robbie’s lair. The villain watched him go with a strange look on his face. 

~  
  


More often than not, if Robbie was passing by the sports’ field on his wanderings around town, a small sticky hand would wrap around his wrist and tug him out onto the grass. He would sit on a bench, or under the shade of a tree and watch the kids play with Sportacus. On very, _very_ rare occasions, he would join them. Often, when they broke for lunch, the kids would have a picnic, and Robbie would find himself in the midst of at least three conversations at once. Ziggy would often...not so much talk, as ramble at Robbie, and the man would nod and make appropriate noises when necessary. When the blond finally gasped for breath, Stingy would intervene with a calmer, much more adult oriented conversation. Robbie thought it odd that he enjoyed both conversations. In the rare times when both kids were quiet, the villain would listen to Trixie, Pixel and Stephanie talk, or listen to the elf regale them all with tales of Iceland. He would never admit it, but it felt...nice to be included.  


Not that it stopped him from being a villain. No, Robbie still schemed, but now the end result was less about getting a certain flippity-flopping elf out of town than it was about keeping the kids quiet and lazy. If anyone noticed the subtle change of his goals then they were at least kind enough not to mention it. The schemes ultimately failed (per usual) and the kids always shouted ‘Robbie Rotten!’ (per usual) but the stern, disapproving glares had been replaced with a certain look of fondness and amusement. It made the villain slightly less grumpy than usual, not that he’d ever admit it. And it was why he had opened his hatch without even looking to see who was knocking on it.  


“Ziggy?” he asked, blinking at the small boy. The blond was shuffling his feet and at the sound of Robbie’s voice, he peered up at the man, worry evident on his face.  


“Robbie? Have you seen Stephanie?” he asked. Robbie blinked again, words taking a while to process in his brain.  


“Pinkie? Is she missing?” The villain frowned. It wasn’t like the hero’s little second-in-command to take off without letting any of her friends know. Had she gone for a hike and gotten injured? Had she been kidnapped by some stranger and taken to another town? Had she-  


“No, she’s at her uncle’s house but she won’t come out. She’s not sick but...she seems sad,” Ziggy told him. “Sportacus was with her but then his crystal went off and he had to leave. Can you talk to her?” the boy asked, eyes wide and hopeful as he looked up at the villain.  


By all rights, Robbie should have said ‘no’. He should have laughed in the kid’s face, slammed his hatch closed and gone back to the baking that the brat had interrupted. It was what any self-respecting villain would have done. Robbie, however, was never particularly good at being an ‘evil’ villain, and thus he let a sticky hand wrap around his wrist and lead him to Mayor Meanswell’s house.  


“Pinkie?” he called, knocking tentatively on the girl’s bedroom door. Quiet sniffling could be heard from the room beyond, and – good lord was she _crying_?! “Pinkie, whatever broke, I’m sure I can fix it,” he said softly. He was pretty sure about this statement. If she needed something sewed, or a toy mended, he could... _assist_. If it was something else...well, they’d figure it out as they went along.  


“Robbie?” The question was the only warning he got before the door unlocked and he was dragged into the relative darkness of the pre-teen’s room. “Robbie, please help!” Stephanie sobbed, throwing her arms around the lanky villain after slamming the door shut.  


“Alright, Pinkie, alright. What’s the matter, hm?” he asked, patting the girl awkwardly on the back. Stephanie reluctantly released him and turned to switch on the light. After blinking the stars from his eyes, he gave the girl a critical once-over. It was clear she was miserable - she was carefully angled so she wouldn’t catch sight of her reflection - and when Robbie caught sight of her hair he suddenly realized why.  


On some level, Robbie knew that Stephanie must dye her hair. But now it really struck the villain that _Stephanie dyed her hair._ Brown roots were growing in, just enough to be noticeable, and it suddenly struck him that Stephanie probably had no way of buying her hair dye. None of the local stores carried such an item and, even if they had, Stephanie would have been unable to purchase it without an adult. And trying to get her well-meaning uncle to actually carry through on anything was… Well, he meant well, at the very least. Robbie was a little surprised that this was the first time she’d run out of hair dye since she’d been in town. He vaguely remembered the small, excitable pink girl that had interrupted his life and he suddenly realized that in another year or two she was going to be a teenager.  


“Stay here,” Robbie ordered, turning on his heel. He was out of the room in a flash, so quick that none of her friends could peer in to catch her distress. In the blink of an eye he was back at his lair, sorting through the numerous dyes he kept for his different schemes. He was sure he had the right color some- ah, there it was. As he headed back to Stephanie’s house he made a mental note to set up a delivery of hair dye for the kid.  


As he re-entered the room he noticed that Stephanie had turned the lights off again and was sitting on her bed, her legs drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. He was curious as to why she was so intensely against seeing her original hair color but he figured everyone had their personal secrets. He certainly didn’t want anyone prying into his, so he would not pry into hers.  


“Where’s your bathroom?” he asked. Stephanie looked up at him, the perfect image of a miserable child. When she saw the box in his hand, her eyes widened, a hopeful look coming into her eyes despite the tears still pooled in them. “Your bathroom?” he asked again, ignoring the warmth spreading through his chest.  


“Through here,” she told him, jumping off her bed and leading him through a door off to his right. She flicked on the light before seating herself on the toilet. “Will you help me?”  


Robbie didn’t answer verbally, merely opened the box and began mixing together the hair dye with all the expertise of a highly trained professional. Stephanie watched him quietly, a small sniffle escaping occasionally, but it seemed that she had calmed down for the most part. A comfortable silence settled between the two as Robbie tended to the pre-teen’s hair. He was waiting in the bedroom when Sportacus flipped in through the window. The elf pulled up short when he saw the villain.  


“Ah, Robbie! I was coming to check up on Stephanie,” Sportacus told the taller man. He surreptitiously glanced over the man’s shoulder at the closed bathroom door.  


“She’s washing the dye out of her hair,” Robbie told him softly. He didn’t know if any of her friends knew about the hair dye and if not, he didn’t want to be the reason they found out. A look of relief crossed over the elf’s face and it suddenly struck Robbie that this was yet another thing that Sportacus had been uncertain about. The slightly-above-average hero could make sure kids kept annoyingly _active_ and eating _healthy_ . He could catch someone falling out of a tree and provide first aid when necessary, but the elf was at a loss when faced with a crying child in need of _hair dye_.  


The sudden loss of running water arrested both men’s attention and they turned as the bathroom door was cracked open. Stephanie peered out at them, relief flashing across her face when she saw that it was just the hero and villain. She pulled the door the rest of the way open and Robbie belatedly realized that her hair was still damp, a towel wrapped around her shoulders. She grinned widely at her hero, before aiming a softer, shyer smile at the local villain.  


“Thanks, Robbie,” she said softly, fidgeting nervously. It struck Robbie that she was embarrassed, though he didn’t know whether she was embarrassed that Robbie now knew she dyed her hair, or whether she was embarrassed about how upset she was about her roots showing. It also struck him that Stephanie could very well be nervous that Robbie would somehow use his new knowledge against her in a scheme. With a soft sigh, Robbie knelt down until he was looking Stephanie in the eye.  


“When I was about your age and first began to love the color purple, I threw a fit until my mother let me dye my hair _lavender_ . I was stuck with the color for _months_ because my mother wouldn’t let me dye it back because she wanted to teach me a lesson. Do you understand, Pinkie?” he asked. Stephanie grinned and threw her arms around the lanky villain. “...and you’re hugging me again. Why are you hugging me?”  


“Thanks, Robbie.” She pulled back, wiping what might have been more tears out of her eyes. Robbie huffed but said nothing before standing up. His joints groaned in protest, but he ignored him.  


“Yes, well. If you’ll excuse me, I have _baking_ to finish,” he said regally before exiting the bedroom. He strode past the gaggle of brats waiting outside, ignoring their questions about Stephanie as easily as he ignored the knowing smile Sportacus had been giving him. And if he happened to leave extra cupcakes in strategic places where the kids could find them… Well, that was nobody’s business but his own. 

~

  
  


It had been months since Stephanie’s hair dye incident and Robbie was finding himself pulled more and more into the every day happenings of LazyTown. He baked for the kids, even going so far as to make – he gagged – _healthy_ treats so the blue menace could enjoy them as well. The kids had laughed hysterically when Sportacus offered to share them with the villain. Robbie was pretty sure the techno kid took a picture and had the photo stashed away for blackmail material at a later date. On one memorable instance Stephanie had showed up at his lair with a box of hair dye. She had all but begged the villain to let her give him purple highlights, and after a particularly convincing set of puppy dog eyes (her ability to get her way never ceased to amaze the villain. If she wasn’t so enamored with Sportacus, Robbie would have taken the pink cheerleader in as a protege.), the villain finally caved and let her do it. They hadn’t turned out nearly as badly as he thought they might. A knock on his hatch pulled the man out of his musing.  


“It’s open!” he shouted. The sound of someone swooshing through the air alerted the lanky man to the arrival of his new guest. He set down his tools and turned away from his latest invention, not concerned with covering it up. As he was no longer concerned with running the elf out of town, his inventions were no longer any danger to LazyTown residents or their hero. “Pixel?”  


The teen stood in front of the older man, and Robbie belatedly realized that the young tech genius was almost an adult. Indeed, Pixel was almost as tall as his hero at this point, and Robbie was suddenly struck by the thought that it would be only a few more years before Pixel would be off to college before becoming a prodigy at some big tech firm. Right now, though, he was clearly unhappy.  


“Robbie, you’re good with technology, right?” he asked.  


“It depends on the technology,” he told the orange-haired teen as he crossed his arms. “What’s the problem? Hardware issue? Coding difficulties?”  


“All of the above,” Pixel sighed. “I’ve got this great idea but every time I try to make it, something goes wrong. There _must_ be a flaw somewhere in the blueprint but I can’t find it!” The genius growled in frustration. “I’ve been staring at it for so long that I’m blind to it. Can _you_ look at it? Please?”  


It was a testament to how much things had changed when Robbie didn’t even hesitate.  


“Sure, kid. Bring your blueprint over here,” he ordered, clearing off part of his workbench. Pixel rolled out his diagram, pinning the corners down with the pushpins Robbie offered him. “Okay, now walk me through this.”  


Pixel was off like a shot, explaining how the idea had come upon him and how he had planned out every painstaking detail. Robbie wasn’t sure how long they stood over Pixel’s design. Robbie’d been double-checking the math, interspersed with praise for Pixel’s original ideas and suggestions made so gently that Pixel wouldn’t even remember that the ideas he incorporated weren’t his to begin with. By the time they were winding down, Robbie thought he’d found the problem, but he didn’t point it out. He knew Pixel was going to catch it himself when he got there. And he was right.  


“Oh my god, I can’t believe I did that!” Pixel groaned. “Thanks, Robbie! I guess I didn’t need your help after all. Sorry to have bothered you for nothing.”  


“Don’t worry about it,” Robbie waived him off. “You’ll have to show me the demo when you finally get it built. I’ll be interested to see this thing in action,” he confessed as he walked the younger man to the ladder.  


“Actually,” Pixel hesitated. “Do you think you could help me?” he asked. “I’ve got some ideas about what materials to use for the main body, but I’d really like to get your feedback on what to use for the more sensitive machinery.”  


“...sure,” Robbie agreed, trying his best not to show his surprise. He knew that he was a genius in his own right, but it still felt nice to know that Pixel valued his feedback. He watched the teen climb the ladder with a small smile on his face before turning around and promptly jumping out of his skin. “Dammit, Sportadork, warn a man!” he snapped.  


“I saw what you did with Pixel, Robbie,” the hero said with a wide grin. “You gave him a lot of ideas for improvements without him even realizing it.”  


“He’s a great idea man. He just needs to work on the details,” Robbie said breezily as he slid past the shorter man. “With enough time and practice, he’ll be a one man show. Hell, he may even be better than _me._ ” Robbie narrowed his eyes and glared at the elf. “Don’t you dare tell him I said that.”  


“Your secret is safe with me!” Sportacus beamed, making a cross over the general vicinity of his heart. “You know, I really am happy that you’ve taken an interest in helping the kids,” he continued, trailing after the villain. “At this point of their life, they need a lot of guidance and there are certain things that I cannot help them with, much as I’d like to.” For a moment, the hero seemed almost sad, but he was back to his normal self before Robbie could really register the change in facial expression.  


“Yes, yes, you teach them all the physical, lumbering jock things and I teach them how to work _smarter,_ not _harder_. Are you sure you really want me to teach your kids? I can still corrupt them with laziness.” At this point, it was an old joke between the two. After so many years, they were really only playing at being the hero and villain – keeping up an old facade for the sake of the fun it provided.  


Sportacus laughed. “They’re not my kids, Robbie.”  


“Psh, whatever you say, Sporta _dad.”_ the villain replied with a roll of the eyes.  


“If anything,” Sportacus continued, ignoring the taller man, “they’re _our_ kids. And if _I’m_ the dad...” he trailed off, a grin breaking across his face. Robbie’s eyes narrowed.  


“Don’t even go there, Sportabrat, or you will find all of your sport equipment shot out of town. I still have my cannon.” Sportacus laughed and Robbie ignored the happiness it made him feel. He tamped down the feeling. “So, what brings you to my lair?” he asked. Sportacus, thankfully, didn’t mention the change of subject.  


“Actually, we are in need of your sewing skills.”  


“ _We_?” 

~  
  


It turned out that Trixie decided the best thing to do in order to make new friends as a freshman – _she’s a freshman?!_ Robbie had all but screeched – was to try out for the school play. She had, of course, had a wonderful audition and had been cast in one of the lead roles. Now, however, was their problem. LazyTown High had a wonderful director, Pixel was in charge of lights and sound, but they desperately needed someone to run the costume department. And that was where Robbie’s help was needed.  


“Hold still, Tricky, or you’re going to get jabbed with a pin,” Robbie ordered. He’d been taking measurements and pinning alterations for the better part of the morning. The school auditorium had been cool when they started, but it was well into the afternoon and they were all sweltering and Robbie was beginning to get more than a little short-tempered. Thankfully, Trixie was his last appointment for the day, and he would soon be back in the relative coolness of his lair.  


“My name is _Trixie_ , Robbie. I’m fourteen, you should know this by now,” The girl huffed as she rolled her eyes.  


“It’s a badge of honor, Tricky, accept it and shut up,” he told her as he jabbed another pin into the outfit. “You may be a teenager now, and maybe you gave up schemes for acting – which, in all honesty is just a _different_ type of scheme – but you’re still a tricky child.” He stuck one more pin into the fabric before stepping back and circling his model. He stepped back in front of her with a small nod and said, “That’ll do,” before carefully helping Trixie out of the costume. He was focused on the alterations he needed to make, and it took him a moment to realize that Trixie was still in the room. “Did you need something else?” he asked when he finally noticed her.  


“Um...you’ve acted before, right?” she asked him.  


“You’ve seen my acting,” he reminded her as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the worktable that he was borrowing. “What are you worried about? You don’t seem like the type to get stage fright.”  


“No, no I’m not worried about being on stage,” she told him as she tugged on her ponytail. At some point she had outgrown three ponytails, and while he would never say it, the single pony looks better on her. He waited patiently – as patiently as he could, which meant he busied himself with the costumes, folding them neatly so that they would be easier to carry back to his lair. “Would you...run lines with me?” Trixie finally asked, studiously staring at the floor before glancing up at Robbie’s face and quickly looking away again.  


“On one condition,” he told her before waiting until she looked at him again. “You’re carrying half of these.” He motioned to the now neatly folded costumes. “Be careful of the pins,” he reminded her as she moved to help.  


The walk back to the lair was a quiet one, but Robbie didn’t mind. One of the minor blessings of the kids growing up was that they’d finally learned to appreciate silence. He liked to think it was because they finally understood the struggle of getting enough sleep. Once they reached the lair, he put the costumes on mannequins before settling into his orange chair. The thing was nearly beat to death at this point and Robbie really should have replaced it. He’d done some online browsing but couldn’t find a suitable replacement. If he was lucky, he’d be able to eke a few more years out of the thing.  


“Now,” he said as he clapped his hands together before taking Trixie’s script. “Let’s begin.”  


They ran lines until it was time for Trixie to go home for dinner. And then they did it again, and again, and again until Robbie was staring down at a ticket that’d been thrust into his hand. He looked from the ticket to Trixie’s face. The girl was smirking at him – a smile she must have picked up from him at some point – and she was bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. Clearly she was pleased about something.  


“It’s a ticket to opening night. Will you come?” she asked him. Robbie glanced back down at the ticket, finding himself at a loss for words.  


“You- You want me at your opening night?” he finally managed to spit out. He internally winced at how stupid the question sounded, and Trixie must have agreed because she rolled her eyes so hard that Robbie was mildly worried she’d sprain something.  


“Of _course_ I want you there, Robbie!” she told him, lightly slugging him in the arm. “You and Sportacus are my biggest supporters. If you aren’t there than I’ll refuse to go on.” Robbie gave the teenager a smirk of his own.  


“Well, we wouldn’t want that.”  


Robbie would never tell anyone how early he got to the auditorium to grab the best seats for himself and Sportacus. And at the end of the play when Trixie took her bow, he tossed a large bouquet of roses onto the stage before clapping the loudest. 

~  
  


Life continued much as it always did for LazyTown. For all of their teasing, Robbie and Sportacus moved from the roles of hero and villain to more of paternal figures. The next four years were a blur of makeup lessons (Robbie), sports training (Sportacus), soothing broken hearts (Sportacus, surprisingly enough) and planning schemes of ultimate revenge (definitely Robbie). When they weren’t giving life lessons, it was a whirlwind of dance recitals, sports games, plays, baking competitions, video game competitions – oh, LazyTown is hosting a cosplay convention this year? Family Road Trip! By the time high school graduation rolled around, Robbie wouldn’t have been able to skip it if he’d wanted to. At the same time, he didn’t think he’d been this exhausted in his entire _life._ This caring thing really took a lot out of a person.  


“Well, Sportakook, we did it.” Robbie told the hero with a slap on the back. “I’m not sure how we did it, but all five kids made it to legal adulthood _and_ graduated high school. And Tricky doesn’t even have a juvenile record! Will miracles never cease?”  


“That we did, Robbie,” Sportacus replied with a grin. “Thank you, honestly,” he continued, his mood becoming more serious. “I am honest when I tell you that I couldn’t have done it without you. I needed your help just as much as the kids did.”  


“Yes, well...I couldn’t let you _completely_ corrupt them.” The villain told him flippantly. Sportacus smiled softly at the taller man but dropped the subject. “So...what now?” Robbie asked. The question seemed to bring about a sudden change in the elf, as the smaller man’s entire body drooped.  
  


“I haven’t told the kids yet but...” Sportacus looked up at Robbie, his face somber. “The elven council has written to me. With the kids grown up and leaving for college, I’m being reassigned.” Something tightened painfully in Robbie’s chest, and he couldn’t quite keep in his gasp.  


“You’re _leaving_ LazyTown?” He gaped at the blue-clad hero. Eight years ago this would have been the best news Robbie ever would have received. But a great many things had changed in eight years and Robbie was no longer a villain. Indeed, after his assistance with Trixie’s play in freshman year, Robbie had somehow become the school’s costume designer _and_ home ec teacher. He was still trying to figure that one out.  


“I don’t _want_ to leave,” Sportacus told the man. “But I don’t have a choice. The council is giving me until the end of the summer. After that, I must report back North.”  


End Chapter One


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein the author makes shit up about fae and our boys eventually get their act together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! Sorry guys, I did NOT pay attention to tense changes when I bashed out this fic and so my poor beta had a lot of work on her hands. Thankfully, she only screamed at me instead of murdering me violently so I can continue uploading fics for you guys!

_The council is giving me until the end of summer. After that, I must report back North.  
_

The words echoed around Robbie’s head as he stared at the elf. He could only describe the look in Sportacus’ eye as pleading, and he realized it was because Stephanie and co. were walking closer and closer to where they were talking.  


“Robbie, please,” the elf begged. “I promise I will tell them but...not today. Today is about celebrating their accomplishments.”  


“R-right,” Robbie agreed. “Yes, we can- we can talk about this later, you’re right. Let’s focus on the kids.” Sportacus’ relieved smile did nothing to abate the tight feeling in Robbie’s chest, but he set it aside. The blue menace was right. Today was about the kids. Still, the discussion couldn’t be shelved forever, and it was Pinkie who created an opportunity to talk about it only a few days later.  


“So, what are you guys going to do with yourselves while we’re off at college?” she asked. The group was gathered in their usual meeting space by the sports field. They were sprawled around a picnic blanket, enjoying the warmth of summer before the humidity kicked in and made them miserable.   


“Actually,” Sportacus said slowly, suddenly very interested in the apple in his hands. “I’ll be leaving at the end of the summer.”  


“ _What?”_ the teenagers chorused. He looked out on the horizon as the group clambered for the elf’s attention. Sportacus patiently explained what he had already told his old nemesis.  


“But...they can’t just _decide_ when we do and don’t need you!” Stephanie argued. “That’s not fair!”  


“Yeah, and besides, what about Robbie?” Trixie demanded. “We’re all going to be off at college and they’re calling you back up to the North and Robbie’s going to be all by himself!” Sportacus looked pained, and Robbie decided to take pity on the man. After all, he hadn’t asked to be reassigned.  


“Guys, you know this isn’t Sportacus’ fault. It’s not even what he wants. But being a hero is his job, just like teaching is now my job. We have to follow the instructions we’re given,” he explained. “And right now, the council thinks that there is another town or city that could use Sportacus’ help. So, let’s enjoy the summer and I’m sure that Sportacus will still visit.” Here Robbie paused before looking at the elf. “You... _can_ visit, right?” he asked hesitantly.  


“Of course, I will visit, Robbie,” Sportacus smiled softly, though the taller man noticed how the blue eyes still held sadness in them. “LazyTown is my home and you all are my family. I will visit whenever I have the chance,” he told them.  


The answer seemed to mollify the group of teenagers, though general consensus was that the situation itself still ‘sucked’. They all moped for several days before Ziggy decided that moping wouldn’t accomplish anything and that the group needed to make this their ‘Best Summer Ever’ so they could send Sportacus off with a bang. And for once, Robbie didn’t make any excuses to skip an event. This time, he made every single one.  


* * *

 

“Well...be safe Sportaelf.” Robbie stated. He stood at the bottom of the ladder, arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. Summer had finally come to an end and it was time for Sportacus to leave. If he just kept his arms crossed tightly enough, he thought, he wouldn’t break down and beg the annoying blue menace to stay.  


“You too, Robbie. _Try_ to stay out of trouble, will you?” Sportacus asked, a fond smile on his face. “And _maybe_ eat a fruit or vegetable occasionally?”   


“I will do no such thing and you know it,” Robbie said haughtily, looking away from the shorter man. He couldn’t see Sportacus’ face but he could hear the other man’s chuckle.  


“I know. I just worry about you. If you ate a bit healthier, it would mean I’d get to keep you around longer.” Robbie bit his lip. He should tell him, he thought. Then, maybe the stupid sports elf wouldn’t be so worried. His thoughts were interrupted when Sportacus’ crystal blared.  


“Someone’s in trouble?” he asked, finally turning back around.   


“No,” Sportacus said softly. “A reminder to head back.” The expression on the elf’s face snapped something inside of Robbie.  


“Well. I guess this is actually...goodbye, then,” he choked out. He blinked back the tears that wanted to fall. He was not going to cry over an annoying, flippity-flopping…  


“For now,” Sportacus responded, cutting off the villain’s train of thought before he could really get started. “I meant what I said over the summer, Robbie. I _will_ be back to visit.”  


“You better,” Robbie muttered. “It took both of us to make sure these kids survived to adulthood. You can’t just dump them all on me now.” Sportacus chuckled softly before dragging Robbie in to a tight hug. Robbie wanted to say something flippant like ‘Still using those ribs, Sport’ but he knew it was the last hug he was going to have for a long while, and he just couldn’t seem to squeeze the words out. Perhaps it was because the hero was squeezing all the air out of his lungs. Either way, he let the shorter man hang on to him, even going so far as to raise his own arms and awkwardly pat the blue-clad man on the back.  


“Until we meet again, Robbie,” Sportacus said when he finally released him from the embrace.  


“That’s the villain’s line,” Robbie told him with a wry smile, nudging his arm.  


“Of course,” the hero agreed. He paused a minute, opened his mouth as if to say something, but his crystal buzzed again, more insistently this time. “Ah. See you at the holidays,” he said, giving the taller man another quick hug before clambering up the ladder. Robbie didn’t respond. He watched the airship take off, waiting it until it was out of sight. He was thankful that Sportacus had said his goodbyes to the kids last night. It was easier to let the tears fall without an audience. With a final heavy sigh, Robbie headed back to his lair.

 

~

 

Sportacus pedaled his airship until he was so tired he couldn’t even tell what was outside of his window. It was long past 8:08, but sleep refused to come and he wasn’t quite sure what was wrong. His crystal was quiet, content now that the sports elf was heading back North. With a groan, he threw himself to the floor and began doing push ups.  


Letting his mind wander, he thought back to the farewells. Last night the kids had thrown him a big going away party. The goodbyes had been tough, especially with Stephanie. He glanced over to his shelf, where he had placed each gift with fondness. He knew they wanted to be here today, but he was insistent that they not miss their first day of classes. In a way, he was also a little glad for the alone time with Robbie. The man had changed so much from how he was when Sportacus first arrived in LazyTown. Still, he kept certain barriers up when he was around the kids. When it was just the two of them, some of those barriers dropped and the ex-villain became...softer, almost. Definitely less guarded. That was the man Sportacus wanted to say goodbye to.  


Thinking about Robbie made something restrict tightly in his chest. The two men had grown closer over the past eight years, and had Sportacus been given more time he thought it was possible that they’d have grown even closer. Now, however, he wouldn’t get the chance to find out. He let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh. Still, the tightness remained. Giving up on physical activity, Sportacus prepared for bed. For the first time in several years, he didn’t think he was going to get a good night’s sleep.  


He awoke to the sound of his ship blaring an alarm. Jerking upright, he realized that it was long past the time he would normally be awake. He rolled out of bed with a groan and stumbled into the bathroom. After a quick sprucing up, he snagged an apple on his way to the cockpit, munching on it as he began pedaling. It would be another several days before he reached the North and, much as he was loathe to leave LazyTown, the thought of seeing his family after so many years brought a smile to his face. He couldn’t wait to fill them in on everything that had happened since he last wrote to them. And to see their reaction in person! Sportacus pedaled a little faster.  


He landed in his homeland five days later. He frowned as he thought about it how long it had taken him to arrive. When he set off from LazyTown, he had initially estimated two to three days to get home, four at the very longest. Still, he reasoned, he hadn’t been sleeping well, so it was normal that his performance should suffer. He wondered if every hero felt like this when they were being reassigned, if this depression was something that was typical and, if so, how long it normally took an elf to bounce back. Something to discuss with pabbi, he thought, rubbing absent-mindedly at his chest.  


He stepped off the airship with a small smile, taking in the lush greenness of his homeland. For all of LazyTown’s redeeming qualities, the sleepy little hamlet could not compete with the colors of his home. He inhaled deeply, taking in the wonderful scents, the fresh air, fresh grass, the fruit and flowers. Yes, he thought. It was good to be home. But as he headed into town, something twinged reproachfully in his chest.  


He wasn’t prepared for the sea of faces that greeted him as he headed to his parents’ house. It seemed that everyone in town knew of his homecoming and it took a half hour before he finally reached the safety of his parents’ living room.  


“We were wondering if you were going to make it!” Ithro told his son with a laugh, once Sportacus was safely ensconced on a couch.  


“I had to fight my way through,” his son responded with a laugh. “I think you sent out the entire village to greet me. I’m surprised you didn’t have the entire family hiding out, waiting for me as well.”  


“They’re coming tomorrow,” his mother called from the kitchen. “We thought we’d give you a break between the villagers and your siblings,” she joked.   


“They were certainly very...exuberant,” Sportacus said.  


“Pent up excitement,” Ithro said with a smile. “We all thought you’d have been here yesterday. Everything okay?” he asked, eying his son.  


“Yes, yes, everything’s fine.” the younger elf assured him. “I was making good time but...it felt like it was getting harder...” Sportacus trailed off with a sigh, not quite sure how to put his feelings into words.  


“It’s hard to leave the town or city you’re protecting,” his father told him. “You’ve been a hero for a while now, son, but LazyTown was your first real assignment. It’s natural that you’re conflicted about leaving. Still, we’re happy to have you home, as your mother will attest. She’s got about a weeks’ worth of celebrations planned before your meeting with the council,” he said with a wink and a grin. Sportacus laughed, feeling himself relax at his father’s words. So yes, he had taken longer to get home than was strictly necessary, but it was normal. He’d be back to his normal self in no time.

 

~

 

Robbie was miserable. It had been days since Sportacus had left town and it was quiet. Eight years ago he would have been jumping for joy and sleeping straight through the day. But over the past several years, Robbie had been more active during the day, and while he was still prone to bouts of insomnia, he was used to sleeping through the night more often than not. Now, however, he wasn’t sleeping at all. Not that anyone was really noticing.  


He couldn’t blame it on the kids, though. They were off at college, and each of them were taking their studies quite seriously. _As they should,_ a voice that sounded remarkably like an annoying sport elf chided him. And Robbie himself was a remarkably good actor when he wanted to be. It was easy enough to fool the school kids he taught into thinking everything was fine. If they noticed that he was maybe a little more subdued than he normally was, it was easy to chalk it up to his friend leaving town and ‘empty nest syndrome’. He shuddered as he thought of those words. They struck too close to home.   


With a sigh, he hefted himself out of his chair. A glance at the clock confirmed his suspicions. It was already well past midnight and Robbie knew that he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep tonight either. With everyone else in town asleep, and no Sportacus to potentially catch him, Robbie climbed out of his lair and headed towards the woods.   


As he entered into the clearing, Robbie peered around. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but after so many years of lying low, it was second nature to double-check. He saw and heard nobody and he released a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Letting his glamour fall, Robbie sighed as he stretched his wings.  


They protruded from his shoulder blades and fell until his mid-calf line. The wings themselves were a soft pastel, deep violet where they connected with his shoulders and softening out to light lavender mixed with pink and peach. While the coloring was beautiful, it was clear the wings had seen some hardships. There were slight nicks and tears around the edges, but not enough to impede what Robbie was about to do.   


He took a deep breath in, stretched his wings, and took to the skies. It felt good to be in the air again, racing through the forest and dodging in and out of trees. Flying wasn’t something he had done regularly over the past few years. With the kids more active there was more of a chance that they would catch sight of him, and Robbie didn’t want anyone to know about his wings or his magical ability.   


It was a closely guarded secret that Robbie was part fae. It was something his mother had only admitted to him once his wings had grown in. As a child, he had read every book he could get his hands on. He wanted to learn how to control these parts of himself, seeing as how his father hadn’t stuck around. Even now Robbie could only tap into a few of his abilities. It had come in useful when he glamoured people so they couldn’t see his wings. It also came in useful when he made his disguises, or created a new invention. Still, while useful and, admittedly, a lot of _fun_ , Robbie preferred to stay quiet about his abilities.   


He knew what humans thought of fairies. If you caught them you would get a wish. True, depending on what fairy you caught. But even if you caught a wish-granting fairy, fairies were, by nature, tricksters. Something was inevitably going to go wrong with your wish. Then there were the evil fairies – the ones that stole children away and replaced them with changelings. Robbie read enough books to know how humans tended to deal with those types of magical beings. He didn’t want to risk it, thank you very much. So he kept his secret, even after Sportacus had admitted to the kids that he was an elf.   


With a gasp, Robbie dropped to the forest floor. An ache had settled into his chest and he was too short of breath to continue flying. The fae massaged his breast bone, trying to lessen the hurt, but it was no use. With a sigh, Robbie turned around and began walking back to his bunker. If he was quick enough, he could make it back before dawn.

 

~

 

Sportacus woke from another night of restless sleep. His dreams were haunted with indecipherable images and a nameless longing that followed him into the waking world. The elf sighed, rubbing at his eyes before standing and walking to his bedroom window. It was still dark out but he could see a light on in his mother’s laboratory.   


He exited the house and crossed the yard quickly. It was still slightly cold over night and in his hurry he hadn’t grabbed a coat. With a soft knock at the door – he didn’t want to startle her by barging in – Sportacus entered the lab.  


“Hello, mamma,” he said, closing the door softly behind him.  


“Sportacus,” she replied, surprise clearly evident in her voice. “I would have thought you’d have been asleep for hours now. Is everything alright?” Her eyes quickly scanned her son’s appearance. His hair was tousled, as if he’d been tossing and turning, and there were dark bags under his eyes. “Oh, my child, how long has this been going on for?” she asked, gently pushing bangs out of his face.  


“Since I left LazyTown,” he confessed. “It’s as if there is something there trying to pull me back but...no one’s in danger. My crystal hasn’t flashed once!” The hero all but collapsed onto the stool his mamma offered him, elbows resting on a worktable and head cradled in his hands. “At first I thought that it was normal. What pabbi said, about it being hard to leave...but it’s only gotten worse.”  


“Stay here,” she ordered softly before she headed back into the main house. She walked quickly but quietly to the main bedroom, where Ithro was passed out asleep. _Like father, like son_ , she thought fondly before frowning. The thought didn’t hold true at the moment. “Ithro, wake up,” she ordered sternly, shaking her husband.  


“Sleeping,” the older elf muttered, trying to turn away from his wife.  


“ _Ithro,_ ” she hissed. “Our son needs our help. _Wake up!”_  


“Salome?” he asked, jerking awake. “What’s the matter?”  


“Did you know that our son has not slept in over a week?” she asked. Her husband blinked owlishly up at her, and it was all she could do to keep in a laugh. Her sons took after their father in looks, but none so much as her youngest. While Sportacus had blond hair, his father had darker locks, but they were still wavy and still stuck out at all angles after he’d been sleeping. “He’s in the laboratory. Come on,” she ordered.  


Ithro watched his wife leave the room. For such a small elf, she still commanded a lot of respect, and it was as much for her self-possession as it was for her brilliance in her field. If Salome said there was a problem, then Ithro didn’t doubt her for a moment. He had noticed himself that their youngest was not his usual self. Initially, he thought the young elf must be suffering some minor depression at having to leave his post. Clearly, he thought as he trailed after his wife, there was something deeper going on.  


He found them at one of the worktables in the laboratory. Sportacus was slumped over, the picture of dejection. His wife stood next to the lad, a comforting hand on his shoulder as she murmured softly. Taking in the scene in front of him, Ithro tuned out the noise, focusing instead on his son. He loved his youngest dearly, and while the lad definitely took after him in looks, he had inherited his mother’s magical ability. He had none – or, more accurately, he had _almost_ none. Whatever was bothering him, Ithro would bet his eye teeth that it was based in magic. Had his son’s nemesis finally gotten the upper hand? Sportacus’ letters had often mentioned the man, but his later letters had mentioned how he had all but given up the mantle of evil. He’d been teaching, hadn’t he? Still, Ithro had faced enough villains to know they could go for the long con. Perhaps this Robbie had lulled his son into a false sense of security and did something right as Sportacus was leaving town?  


Ithro crossed the laboratory with a frown on his face. His son looked up as he heard him approaching and the older elf noticed just how worn out his son looked. Salome was right to be worried, and Ithro kicked himself to not taking more notice earlier. Laying a hand on his son’s left shoulder, he focused his magic, intent on searching out what was wrong. And very nearly fell over.  


A wave of magic burst out, nearly knocking the older man off his feet.  


“Pabbi!” Sportacus shouted, grabbing his father’s arm and stabilizing him. Salome rushed to his other side, offering what support she could as he found his center of gravity. When he could finally stand on his own again, Ithro sighed deeply and gave Sportacus a stern look.  


“Son, you’re a damn fool.”

 

~

 

Robbie all but crawled back into his lair. He had been climbing the ladder when he suddenly felt as if he’d been hit by a truck. It had taken everything in him to cling to the ladder. When it had finally passed, he finished his climb and tumbled gracelessly into the pipe. He hit the floor with a thud.  


He knew, logically, that something was wrong and that he should most likely seek out some type of help. But Robbie was never very good at doing what was logical, or else he wouldn’t have spent four years going up against Sportacus despite the futility. So instead, he stayed where he was on the floor and eventually he dropped off to sleep.  


He awoke to someone knocking on his hatch. He could vaguely hear voices but couldn’t identify who they belonged to or what they were saying. Eventually, they faded away and Robbie was left to stare up at his ceiling.   


So, he thought, something is quite clearly wrong. When did it start? A week ago, he decided. Definitely no more than two weeks. What changed in that time period? His heart clenched painfully as he thought about Sportacus leaving town. It had taken years for them to get to their friendship and Robbie was sad to lose it. But that wouldn’t have caused the random bouts of weakness, would it? He thought back to everything he had read about fae. They nested and Robbie would easily call his lair his ‘nest’. They took partners, according to his research, though it was not something Robbie himself had ever done. But once a partner was chosen, the fae would stay with their mate while they raised young. Afterward, the fae could choose to remain together or a partner could leave. If one fae left, it was typically the fae that remained who…Oh.  


Oh.  


A choked laugh escaped Robbie’s throat as realization struck him. Of course Robbie had let the kids and Sportacus into his nest. And Robbie had helped the annoying sports elf raise five kids. And once they were raised, Sportacus had been called away and Robbie...Robbie had stayed. The fae laughed harder and louder until eventually the laughter turned into sobs.

 

~

 

Sportacus didn’t think he’d ever pedaled so quickly in his life. After his discussion with his pabbi and mamma, a lot of things were made clear. In hindsight, Sportacus kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. Now he could only hope that he made it back to LazyTown in time.  


Three days later, the sight of his airship over town created quite the stir. His charges rushed out to greet him, Stephanie leading the pack. As happy as Sportacus was to see them, he had a more important task.  


“Sportacus!” Stephanie cheered, somehow seeming to look pleased and worried at the same time.  


“Hello guys!” the elf greeted. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay to talk. I’m here for a very important reason and time is of the essence. I promise that I will talk to you tomorrow,” he shouted over his shoulder as he took off.   


“Sportacus, check on Robbie if you get the chance!” Stephanie shouted after him. The sentence made the hero’s heart sink and he increased the speed of his run. He _had_ to get to Robbie.  


The ex-villain’s latch was closed when he got there, but the elf didn’t even pause to knock. If Stephanie was worried about Robbie, then things must be even worse for the lanky man than they were for Sportacus. He slid down the tube, landing on his feet in Robbie’s lair.  


“Robbie?” he called. The lair looked empty and Sportacus felt his heart clench. Had Robbie left? The elf didn’t know if Robbie had another hide out or not. After only a moment’s hesitation, he decided to check the lair thoroughly before trying to look elsewhere. “Robbie?” he called again. The orange chair – Robbie’s favorite napping spot – was empty. The worktables were covered with a light coating of dust, as was the beloved costume machine. No one was in the kitchen, and so Sportacus began poking around the back rooms.   


He entered this area of the lair cautiously. Even after he and Robbie had become friends, Sportacus had never really looked into Robbie’s back rooms. The man had told him that they were typically used for storage, and as he poked around he saw that Robbie had been truthful. Rottenella was stored in one of the side closets, as well as copious amounts of fabric for costuming and several spare parts that Robbie would find useful when inventing. There was also, surprisingly enough, a music room with a grand piano, and tucked way in the back was a seldom used bedroom. There, half on and half off the bed, was Robbie.  


Sportacus’ breath caught in his throat as he rushed forwards. It was clear that the man had tried to crawl into bed but had been too weak to accomplish the task. The gymnast gently lifted him up and settled him on the bed, taking care not to jostle his wings. Part of him wanted to shake the other man awake. He had so many questions that he wanted answers to, but the rational side of him realized that they both needed sleep. He took a moment to think about his options – which were scant few – before shrugging and squeezing himself onto the bed between Robbie and the wall.  


“Good night, Robbie.” Sportacus told the other man. His eyes slid shut and a small smile touched his lips before he was asleep.

 

~

 

Robbie woke with a groan. Sitting up, he tried to remember how he got into bed. He remembered going for a fly and then a tremendous amount of pain before walking, then crawling home. He vaguely remembered passing out on the floor of the lair before continuing his crawl back to the bedroom. He didn’t recall actually making it into bed, but it was clear that he must have. At the time, Robbie honestly thought he had been dying, so he was a little surprised to be awake and feeling better than ever.  


He shelved the thought for later, focusing instead on stumbling his way into the bathroom. He grimaced at his reflection. He’d lost weight, and although he’d finally gotten some much needed sleep, he still looked haggard. He’d also apparently forgotten to reapply his glamour, he noted as he caught sight of his wings. Still, he was within the safety of his lair. He could save the magic for later.  


He changed his mind when he walked into his kitchen to find a _sports elf_ making _breakfast._ He screeche d , clasping a hand to his chest as the elf in question startle d and turn ed around. Catching sight of Robbie, Sportacus smile d and wave d , as if he ma de breakfast in the other man’s kitchen every day. As if this was something that was perfectly normal.  


“Sportadoof, _what_ are you doing here?!” Robbie demanded.  


“We’ll get to that,” Sportacus said. “But first you should eat something. You’ve lost too much weight,” he continued, frowning as his eyes roamed over the taller man’s frame.  


Robbie suddenly felt very exposed. He realized that he was wearing nothing but a pair of pants and his _wings were still on display, goddammit_. He choked on a curse, ready to flee for the bedroom when a soft touch on his upper arm stopped him. He looked down at the hero and realized that Sportacus already _knew_ and didn’t care. With a heavy sigh, Robbie sat down at his kitchen table, watching as the sports elf loaded a serving plate with pancakes and fresh fruit. He grimaced at the sight of fruit, more out of habit then any real hatred of the stuff, but loaded his plate up anyway. He suddenly realized that he was _starving_.  


After, when both men had eaten to their hearts’ content and Sportacus had cleaned up the dishes, they resettled themselves at the table. Robbie fidgeted nervously. He hadn’t been looking forward to this conversation. He knew what he’d done and he wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Sportacus was preparing a gentle let down speech, something probably nicer than Robbie deserved. After all, he had unintentionally created a bond between the two of them. Sportacus had every right to ask Robbie to dissolve it.   


“So, ah,” Sportacus began, a light flush taking over his features. “I’m not sure about what’s been happening to you but...” The elf took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves before starting over. “Robbie, when I left a few weeks ago, I was expecting to be reassigned once I got home. However, on the way there, I ran into some...difficulty. My sleep schedule was interrupted and it felt like I had a constant ache in my chest.”  


“I know,” Robbie said miserably, closing his eyes. He was going to continue, but Sportacus interrupted him.  


“The same thing has been happening to you?” Robbie nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but Sportacus continued. “I thought so. When I got to my homeland, the feeling continued, hurting more and more. At first, I thought it was because I was upset about being reassigned. My pabbi said it was normal but after a week, I was at my wits’ end. I spoke with my mother and well, she convinced my father to take another look at me. And apparently, we are bonded.” Sportacus said the last three words so softly that Robbie almost didn’t catch them. When he finally registered what the elf said, it hit him like a ton of bricks.  


“I know,” he sighed heavily. “And I’m sorry,” Robbie told the elf. “It was completely unintentional and-”  


“Robbie,” Sportacus interrupted, taking one of Robbie’s hands in his own. “I don’t think you understand. You didn’t initiate the bond. _I_ did. Although,” he told the man with a soft smile, “you are correct about it being unintentional.”  


“I- _what?!”_ Robbie asked, confused. “ _You_ initiated the bond? I thought I-”  


“No,” Sportacus interrupted again. “You did not create the bond. This is my doing. I was so _happy_ to see you bonding with the kids and spending time with me that, well...” he trailed off again, blush bright across his face. “My bond apparently resonated with your fae magic,” he explained. “Which was why _you_ have been experiencing so much pain. If you had been human, like I thought you were, this wouldn’t have affected you at all. I’m sorry,” he told the other man sincerely.   


“Well,” Robbie said. He wanted to say something else. Something about how it wasn’t his fault, or how the elf couldn’t possibly have known, but the crux of the matter was, it _was_ his fault and he _really_ should have known. Still, Robbie knew what it was like to make mistakes, so instead of saying anything else, he gave Sportacus’ hand a soft squeeze. The elf grinned at him, eyes crinkling up at the corners with how happy he is. “So, what now?” Robbie asked.  


“That depends on you,” Sportacus told him with a shrug. “With our bond in place it’s not like I can leave LazyTown. But I can understand if you want to break i-”  


“No,” Robbie said much too quickly. “I mean,” he stuttered as Sportacus’ grin widened even further and honestly, Robbie didn’t really think that was possible. “Unless you want to brea-”  


“I don’t want to,” the elf said. “I’ve liked you a long time, Robbie,” he confessed. The ex-villain blinked at him, unable to fathom hearing those words from anyone, much less Sportacus.  


“ _Really?”_ the taller man asked incredulously. “I worry for your mental health.” Sportacus rolled his eyes but let the comment go. He’d have plenty of time to work on the fae’s self-esteem issues.   


“So, were you ever going to tell me that you’re fae?” Sportacus asked, face and tone much too innocent. Robbie narrowed his eyes at the shorter man.   


“At the time, it was none of your concern. Had we actually made it to this point _without_ an accidental bonding then I _might_ have considered it. And I’m only half-fae,” he corrected with a sigh. A happy hum was the only response he got from Sportacus, the elf sitting with a ridiculous smile still on his face. “You don’t seem surprised.”  


“I got here last night, Robbie,” Sportacus told him. “Although I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You were so out of it, you didn’t even wake up when I picked you up and put you on the bed.” A frown cut through his grin. “I don’t know if you would have made it much longer. If my pabbi hadn’t figured out what happened…” he trailed off, his hand tightening around Robbie’s hand of its own accord.  


“Your _parents_ know about this?” Robbie all but screeched. “Oh god, _why?”_ The fae groaned in horror. “I’m a mostly-honest, occasionally hard-working guy. I haven’t been a villain in _years. What_ did I do to deserve this?” he asked the walls of his lair.  


“Robbie, it’s okay,” Sportacus assured him. “My mamma is eager to meet you and pabbi, well,” the elf trailed off. “He’ll love you once he gets to know you.” Robbie groaned again, placing his head on his kitchen table.  


“You know, most couples don’t have to deal with this until they’re months – sometimes years into a relationship,” Robbie groused. With his head on the table, Robbie missed Sportacus’ grin.  


“Are we a couple, Robbie?” the elf asked, his grin spreading across his face. Robbie’s only verbal response was another moan, though his grip on Sportacus’ hand tightened momentarily before relaxing again.  


“Do the others know you’re here yet?” he asked suddenly, wondering what their reaction would be to seeing the elf back in town so soon.  


“Yes, they saw me last night.” Sportacus said, momentarily allowing Robbie to change the subject. “Though we’ll probably have to meet up with them at some point today. They’ll be interested to know why I’m back in town, and they were worried about you. I only spoke to them as I ran past, but Stephanie shouted that I should check on you.”  


“I thought I heard voices,” Robbie said with a sigh before his brow furrowed in thought. “I think I was supposed to meet them for lunch.”  


“We can do that today, then,” Sportacus told him with a grin. “Are you going to tell them about...” he gestured at Robbie’s wings with his free hand.  


“I don’t know,” Robbie frowned.   


“It’s your decision, Robbie. But for what it’s worth, I think your wings are very pretty.” Now that he had the opportunity to look at them again, he was even more enamored of the fae’s wings than he was last night. And he had so many questions to ask - where the colors reflective of Robbie specifically or of his family? What hardships had Robbie gone through to create the nicks? What type of fae was Robbie? But those questions could wait until later, once Robbie was more comfortable with all of the changes that had happened so suddenly.   


“I’ll...think about it,” the ex-villain eventually replied. “As you’re so fond of them, you’ll at least be happy to know that I usually leave them out when I’m home,” he told the hero, rolling his eyes when it got him yet another beaming grin. Honestly, who was that happy all the time? “Come on, Sportakook,” he told the elf as he tugged him out of the kitchen chair. “Let’s go get ready to meet your kids.”  


“Not _my_ kids, Robbie,” Sportacus corrected, gently swinging their clasped hands. “ _Our_ kids.” He watched as his statement brought a small smile to the fae’s lips, and the sight sent a warm burst of pleasure coursing through his chest. It was so easy for him to see why he fell in love with this man, and while he knew that he and Robbie would need to do a lot more talking in the future for this to work out, right now, Sportacus was content.

End

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure how this fic came about. I used to watch this show when I was younger and then (hermit that I am) I stumbled across the news about Stefan Karl. I started binge watching the show on YouTube and reading fanfic stories and...here we are. In all honesty, this will most likely be my only LazyTown fic, so I hope you enjoy(ed) it.


End file.
